With Vanessa Hunter, Kody Bateman, and Steve Schulz

On a training cruise in Mexico with team members and business partners

Phebe Trotman is a network marketing professional who leads a growing international team from her home in British Columbia, Canada. She is the recipient of numerous company awards, including Top International Customer Sponsor (2011), Trainer of the Year (2014), and Distributor of the Year—Runner Up (2016). Phebe attributes her success to “an incredible team of business partners” and a team culture fueled by the power of recognition and appreciation.—J.G.

Phebe found network marketing when she was playing semi-professional soccer and working full time as a content developer for a computer company.

“One day I requested time off to go on a road trip with my soccer team and my boss’s reply was hesitant,” Phebe recalls. “I remained calm, but inside an alarm went off. I realized I needed to do something different.”

Looking for more control over her time and income, Phebe started a soccer coaching company with a teammate. “Our business generated a great side income,” she says, “and I love working with kids. When I shared my new business with a friend, he recommended I read Rich Dad Poor Dad.”

After reading the book, Phebe started actively looking for ways to create passive income. She found a mentor and began investing in real estate. Several “character-building” experiences later, she decided it wasn’t something she wanted to pursue.

Phebe was familiar with the concept of network marketing, as her mom had built a business when Phebe and her brother were little. Phebe had also been approached and supported many friends in their network marketing businesses. When a friend shared her current company with her and Phebe experienced the product, she knew she had found something she could align with. As she was looking for a change, the timing was perfect.

Phebe started using the product and quickly shared it with a few people. “I had a lot of other projects on my plate,” she says. “It wasn’t until I lost my job—the computer company I worked for went bankrupt—that I fully understood the importance of having a plan B. I continued to coach soccer while putting more focus on building my network marketing business.”

Phebe’s sponsor lived across the country and wasn’t actively building, so she started looking for other ways to learn. She began listening to company calls, joined other leaders’ calls, read network marketing books, and drove to Seattle every other week to attend events.

A few years after Phebe started building her business, her dad joined her. “We had an amazing time working together,” she says. “Sadly, in 2010 he was diagnosed with cancer and in 2012, he passed away. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to work through in my life.”

Phebe’s parents had always been her biggest cheerleaders. She feels forever grateful for network marketing, as it gave her the freedom to spend time with her dad in his final days.

Phebe had heeded the quote, “Take care of your business when times are good, so that when times are tough, your business will take care of you!” Over time, she learned that “network marketing is about time freedom to be with the people we love; financial freedom to be able to help those we care about; and self-development, giving us the strength to persevere through life’s most challenging times.”

In the beginning, Phebe wasn’t consistent with her daily actions, so her business grew slowly, which frustrated her. She remembers attending an event where Jordan Adler demonstrated what happens to your business when you “start and stop,” compared to when you’re consistent in your activity. That’s when things clicked for her.

“I understood if I wanted to create consistent results, I had to focus on what I could control, which is daily money-making activities.”

Phebe joined BNI and started attending Meetup events to expand her contact list. “Meetup.com allows you to join groups and attend events based on your interests,” she says. “Both BNI.com and Meetup.com are international, so every time I travel, I attend at least one event in the city I’m visiting. Before the meeting, I send the BNI President, or another member with a complimentary business, or the meetup organizer a note to introduce myself. I like to connect in advance and make a new friend before I even attend the meeting.”

Phebe believes an essential component of authentic leaderships is being a living example. “I’ve had incredible teammates and coaches in my soccer career,” she says. “Some of my coaches had tremendous confidence in my abilities. They cheered me on as I grew and held me accountable. Some of my most amazing teammates worked behind the scenes, making everyone feel welcome and cheering them on to perform at their best. More important than personal success was the team’s success. The same principles apply to creating a winning team in this business.

“Believing in others and recognizing their successes has helped our team create a culture of celebration and camaraderie. We believe if we want to celebrate the harvest, we have to celebrate planting the seed. Recognition has always been a priority on our team to ensure everyone feels supported and celebrated along their journey.”

Reflecting on who were her mentors, Phebe mentions Dani Johnson. “She taught me that the only investment with a guaranteed, infinite return is the investment we make in ourselves.”

A few books and audios which have been transformational are How to Win Friends and Influence People,Beach Money, Three Feet from Gold, Go for No, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, The Four Agreements and everything by Jim Rohn and Les Brown.

Phebe believes another key to success is to “stay close to the fire” by attending live events. “Every year, as soon as your company announces convention dates, you want to mark your calendar and be the first on your team to buy a ticket. Next, start a campaign to get your team to join you.

“Another key to help expand your vision is attending generic events such as the ANMP international convention and Eric & Marina Worre’s events. Bringing team members with you is a way to supercharge your business!”

Last but not least, Phebe finds the leadership in her company to be exceptional. “I have many incredible mentors and friends from the corporate team, including Kody Bateman, Steve Schulz, and Vanessa Hunter. Our field leaders have sown seeds of belief and encouragement in me, which makes me want to reach out to others in my company and beyond to do the same.

At a recent company convention, Phebe shared her Gratitude Gems list. “I look at this business like we are explorers digging for that ultimate treasure,” she says. “What helped me have fun along the way is showing gratitude for all the hidden gems I have discovered since getting started in network marketing. I encourage everyone to create their own list!”

Phebe’s Gratitude Gems List

Gratitude Gem #1: Coaches & Cheerleaders
These are the people who have cleared a path for us to follow and the mentors who teach, share, celebrate, and hold us accountable throughout the journey.

Gratitude Gem #2: Friends & Family for Life
These are the friends in our team, our company, and in the profession who become family—all people we would have never met if we hadn’t said yes to our opportunity.

Gratitude Gem #3: The Legacy We Create
The ripple effect of what we do today will be felt for generations to come. This includes helping someone get started on life-changing products or services, helping a new business partner launch, the extra income you create that allows you to _____ [fill in the blank].

Gratitude Gem #4: Memorable Experiences
These are those moments that when you think of them, you pause and just smile. The experiences that you will forever cherish because you said “yes” to network marketing!

Gratitude Gem #5: Becoming the Best Version of Yourself
Through personal development and the incredible business partners we associate with, we continue to grow stronger and better.

When you’re too tired to pick up the phone or send another invite,

On days when someone said they were ready to join and didn’t,

On days when you don’t feel like attending the local meeting,

When your business isn’t growing as quickly as you would like,

On the days when you’re tired of _____ [fill in the blank]...

... read your list and take action!

Keep adding to your Gratitude Gems and read your list until your gems become a part of your core. Grow your list of Gratitude Gems until it is bigger than a no, and all you can see and feel are the smiles, the teamwork, the experiences, the celebrations, the friendships, and the self-growth. You will continue to find these gems along the way, as long as you stay in action and keep digging!